Where is this information coming from?

The data on this website was obtained from information reported by the counties to the NC Division of Social Services on the DSS-5094 forms for placement authority information and the DSS-5104 forms for child abuse, neglect and dependency reports.

How often are the data updated?

All of the information on the website is updated monthly around the middle of the month. At the bottom of each page of data, a date is listed for when the update occurred, for example "Data last updated 12APR25" (April 12th, 2025).

What is a "cohort"?

For the data in the Experiences Report section of this website, a "cohort" is a group of children who entered DSS custody/placement authority for the very first time in a given fiscal year. For data in the Abuse & Neglect section of this website, a cohort is the group of children whose first ever report occurred in a given fiscal year. For example, the SFY97-98 cohort in the Experiences Report data consists of those children who first entered care in the state fiscal year that began July 1, 1997 and ended June 30, 1998. This way of organizing the data ensures that each child is counted only once and that reentries to care are distinguished from initial entries.

What is considered "foster care" for a child?

On this website, a child's experience in the child welfare foster care system begins on the date that the DSS obtained custody and/or placement authority of the child as reported on DSS-5094 in the placement authority begin date field. Their experience ends on the placement authority termination date. We primarily refer to this experience as time in "placement authority."

What is the difference between "longitudinal" and "point-in-time" data?

A detailed explanation of the difference between "longitudinal" and "point-in-time" data is found under the Abuse & neglect Report Information help page.

How accurate are the data?

The data are as accurate as the information submitted to NC DSS by the counties on DSS forms 5104 (for child abuse, neglect and dependency reports) and 5094 (placement authority/foster care information) or via NCFAST/PATH NC. On this website, we group and summarize the data so that it is more easily used to evaluate policy and practice, but we do not alter the original administrative data in any way.

Is the information about the individuals that this data represents secure?

There is no individual identifying information presented on this website. All data are available in only aggregate and summary form to ensure privacy.

How can this data be used by county and state government?

State and local administrators and practitioners may use this data to evaluate child welfare policy and practice. Child and family outcomes data are available beginning in SFY 1997-1998 so that performance can be monitored over time. Performance data can also be compared across counties, jurisdictions, and county groups as well as to the state as a whole.

How do you cite information from this website?

CITATIONS - The suggested way to cite the above data is as follows:

When are the measures updated?

The measures are updated every month with the most recent data from the NC DSS information system. This can result in some changes in the measures from month to month as they reflect more accurate data. When viewing tables and graphs, the date when the data were last updated as well as the date for the table or graph creation are displayed at the bottom of the page.

Although different data sources have different data entry lag times, typically, at least six months is required for data to become stable. An attempt is made to balance how quickly the data will be provided with the stability of the data.

For example, in certain sections of the website, "partial year" data will be provided until the data become stable. For a given SFY, partial data are provided starting in January. Data remain "partial" until January of the following year, 6 months after the SFY has ended. At that time, the SFY will be called a "full" cohort and a new "partial year" for the next SFY will be started.

In other sections of the website, like the CFSR measures, the data are displayed 3 months after the end of a time period. For example, the July 2024 to June 2025 data will be shown in October 2025. By October, much of the data will be available. However, these data would not be expected to be completely stable until January 2026.

Compared to reports of abuse and neglect, monthly foster care data are entered more frequently. So, the monthly foster care information is displayed as it becomes available. For instance, September 2025 data will be shown in October 2025. However, please be advised that the most recent data will still require some time to become stable.

Why are the CFSR measures on the website different from the published federal numbers for North Carolina State in the data profile?

The federally-generated CFSR measures are calculated based on the official state submissions of AFCARS and NCANDS data. The AFCARS data are submitted twice a year and NCANDS data are submitted only once a year. These data files also capture only limited point-in-time information about children in care during the time frame under review. The measures on this website are calculated using the most up to date information available. Thus, as counties enter more information, such as date of discharge, discharge reason, or parental rights termination date, this information is incorporated into the measures available on the website, resulting in slight changes from month to month. Data entered after the federal submissions are made get incorporated in the calculation of the website measures. This difference in the source data results in slight differences between the federal measures in the data profile and the website measures. However, we have found that as a whole, the difference is small in most cases.

How are the per 1000 rates calculated?

The U.S. Census Bureau produces annual estimates of resident population for each state and county using a component of population change method at the county level (Click here to go directly to the Census site). The reference date for these estimates is July 1. To produce the rate of reports of abuse and neglect in every 1,000 children (the rate per 1000), the number of children reported for abuse and neglect in a state fiscal year (SFY) is divided by the population in thousands for the corresponding annual estimate. For example, the rate per 1000 for the SFY 25-26 cohort is based on the July 2025 estimate. To produce quarterly population estimates for the foster care caseload information, the population estimate is used as is for the next three quarters; there is no interpolation.

As with the abuse and neglect rate, to produce the rate of children in foster care found in every 1,000 children in the population (the rate per 1000), the number of children in foster care in a given time period is divided by the population in thousands for the same period.